The Community Foundation's funding of the Golden Isles Youth Orchestra (GIYO) has had a broad impact in several Glynn County elementary schools. On Thursday, March 30, GIYO sponsored, in collaboration with Glynn County Schools and Golden Isles LIVE! a series of educational musical performances for 5th graders focusing on how African-American and Celtic music has impacted American music traditions all the way through modern hip-hop. This performance, included Kathleen Turner and Trina Meade as the guest artists.

Last year, Coastal Partners In Philanthropy in partnership with Stewards of the Georgia Coast hosted a Conservation Donors Roundtable at Musgrove Plantation on St. Simons Island to hear about shorebird conservation. Ian Davidson, Director of Bird and Wildlife Conservation at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (www.nfwf.org), presented on their large-scale, highly collaborative shorebird conservation efforts. Shorebirds are one of the most rapidly declining group of birds in the world and Davidson profiled the remarkable migration routes of many species of shorebirds, with some making annual migrations from the Arctic to South America and back again.

As a result of that event, supporters raised the necessary funds to purchase a "Mule" and thirteen cameras to support this work. The Mule is shown here on Cumberland Island being used on a Piping Plover Survey. Georgia's coast features prominently in conservation plans due to the critical role this region plays by providing important habitat and food resources during migration and the nesting season.

On March 9th, the Coastal Georgia Foundation and the Stewards of the Georgia Coast joined efforts to host the 2nd Annual Conservation Donors Roundtable at the A. W. Jones Heritage Center adjacent to the St. Simons Lighthouse Museum. Stewards is an informal affinity group for donors with a passion for coastal conservation. The event was attended by representatives of various local and national foundations who have an interest, institutionally or individually, in preserving the natural habitats and wildlife along the remarkable Georgia coast.

The main presentation delivered by Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division biologist Clay George focused on the critically endangered North American Right Whale. Tim Keyes, also with the DNR Non-Game Conservation Section gave us an update of last year’s program on shorebird conservation efforts in Georgia. Finally, Judy and Walter Hoyt shared reflections on their philanthropic efforts to preserve coastal habitat in Georgia.

The world lost a great lady last week! The eulogy by Dr. Derek McAleer brilliantly communicated the heart and life of a amazing woman. Eloise was an avid philantropist, one of the original Founders of the Foundation and one of the first to open a donor advised fund with us..... Read her obituary below, but know that it can't possibly adequately communicate the breadth of her life.

Funding for three of the five statues was provided by the Community Foundation in its 2015 Competitive Grant Cycle.

All that glitters may not be gold, especially if it is found on the side of the road. But Lea King-Badyna hopes residents of the Golden Isles will be looking at trash a bit differently in January andFebruary.

Since 2005, the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation has been working to help those in need throughout the area. They have awarded more than $7 million in aid to agencies that targeta variety of issues in Glynn, McIntosh and Camden counties.